Monday, July 04, 2011

This twelve part series was filmed by the BBC in 1987.Stunningly good. Incredibly convincingly musical.We have so much we can learn in only an hour of his teaching.I love Tortelier's quote (end of Part 3 at minute 6:50) about how a musician must be a:

Hi Jan,I am an adult student of the flute, have been taking lessons for about 6 months and I am absolutely in love with your blog! What a wealth of information! I was having a really hard time understanding vibrato and yours was the only place I was able to find any explanation of where to even begin. Thank you! I was wondering if you knew of any resources that explain modulation on the flute. I play piano and know that there are modulation charts, but flute seems more complicated since there are no cords to play to go from one key to another. In particular I am looking to go from the key of B flat to the key of D. (our church pianist will be gone, too, so it will be me, the flute and two hymns in those keys for special music :) Any help would be much appreciated.Thank you.

Dear Olya,Thanks so much for the feedback about how you enjoy this flute blog. You're so kind and I am so pleased! :>) Love to help speed everyone's understanding about this fabulous life of playing flute!

Now, to your question about modulation. Is it possible that you are looking for a different word? Perhaps "Transpose" or "Transposition"?

When you speak of modulation "charts" are you talking about a chart of "The circle of fifths"?

Those might be the terms you'll want to google. I'm just guessing.It's all about music theory terminology, and since English is my first and only language I'm not sure what the words are that would help you find what you need.

When you say you're looking for a method of going from the key of B-flat to the key of D, are you talking about playing chords in arpeggiation that will harmonically modulate correctly between two flats and two sharps? Are you talking about chord sequences? (Like V/V of B-flat is F major chord? Or like V of D major is A-C#-E?)

If this is what you're looking for, you're seeking "common chord sequences used in modulation".

Your teacher might help you out, or you might have to write out your own based on chords that you prefer.

oh, wow, this is so helpful! Thank you so much. I could just transpose both hymns to the key of C which I might still have to do if modulation doesn't work out. I hate to do that because it will make the first hymn too high and the second one lower than I'd like (it looses some of it's character, though it's just my opinion and I am sure most people wouldn't notice)Recording cords and trying to find a melodious way to transition on the flute is an awesome idea!I appreciate your help.Oh, and I just noticed I misspelled your name. I am so sorry! English is not my first language.

Hello again,Yes, I know; the English is the difficult part; which words to use?

But I'll tell you what is the quickest option:

When you are playing flute, and wish to modulate from a Bb to a D major to "bridge" two hymns, it's musically acceptable to do so in a "Fantasia" or "Cadenza" style, where you blur the home key, and improvise a bridge to arrive in th a new key.

If you simply improvise several ideas into a recorder, and choose which one worked best, the whole bridge can be a cadenza, with no necessary musical theory rules.It's just a free cadenza.Feel free to do that.If it's musically convincing to your ear, most people will accept the new key as refreshing to their ear.

But if you transpose both hymns to C-major you loose this freshness.So do creatively bridge it and be proud of your creativity.The ear accepts these fantasias, no problemo. :>)Best, Jen